Alyn and Deeside Labour party members set to choose assembly by-election candidate

Alyn and Deeside Labour party members will gather in Connah’s Quay on Wednesday evening to vote on who they want to represent the party as the Welsh Labour candidate in the forthcoming Alyn and Deeside assembly by-election.

Labour’s Welsh Executive Committee drew up a three-person shortlist following a round of interviews in December.

The vacant seat arose following the tragic death of incumbent Assembly Member Carl Sargeant last November.

Mr Sargeant’s son Jack is one of the three people on the shortlist who will go head to head at a selection meeting at Connah’s Quay Civic Hall on Wednesday evening.

Carolyn Thomas, county councillor for Treuddyn and Hannah Jones, a Saltney town councillor along Jack will all give an opening speech to the assembled Labour members during the hustings, they, in turn, will question the three candidates about their suitability for the role.

Members will then vote for each candidate in order of preference on the ballot sheet, if a candidate with the first preference receives 50% or more they win outright, if not second preferences will be counted and added to the votes.

Only constituency Labour party members whose membership was accepted on or before June 6 last year will be able to vote, the result of which should be known between 8.30pm and 9pm.

The chosen candidate will stand in the National Assembly for Wales constituency by-election for Alyn and Deeside on Tuesday 6 February.

Broughton and Bretton community councillor Donna Lalek has been chosen to stand as a Welsh Liberal Democrat candidate.

Gresford Community Council Sarah Atherton is the Welsh Conservative candidate, Plaid Cymru hasn’t named its candidate as yet while UKIP said they will not field a candidate if Jack Sargeant is chosen by labour, “out of respect to the late Carl Sargeant.”